Vacation Bible School and more

Last night was the first night of our vacation bible school.  The theme is Avalanche Ranch and me and my wife were put in charge of Cheddar's Wild West Theatre.  To be honest, when I signed up to help out with vacation bible school, I was expecting to help with the crafts or something else.  I wasn't really wanting to teach since that's what I do as my career.  After some careful thinking and praying, I realize now that God wanted me to teach the kids.  I felt really good teaching the Word of God to the kids and even though after seeing the first segment of the movie 4 times makes it tedious, it was a great feeling to talk to the kids about how God is real and he's the creator of all things. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week as we continue with the film and related materials.

Yesterday was also the first Sunday with our new minister.  He and his wife sat with our adult Sunday school class and listened while the teacher talked about comparing people.  I thought the teacher did a great job and honest discussion was given what the fears of the congregation.  Most of the fears was how was he going to do his sermon and how was he going to handle Children's Church.  I didn't plan on speaking up, but I felt compelled to say that when I accepted Christ and our former pastor planned the baptism, he found out a week later he was going to move.  Sure, everyone was upset because he had been here a long time and someone asked me I must be devastated since I just became a Christian.  I said to that person, yes, I'm upset that he was leaving, but I worship Christ, not the pastor.  Jesus is the head of the church, not the minister.  In regards to our new minister, I have a good feeling about him.  I thought he did a wonderful job with the kids and his sermon was about how he became a minister and how we are all priests of God and that we work together to build the church as a group, not one person.  How so true.

On a side note, I was planning on blogging last week about preparing for vacation bible school, but I did a dummy and tried to life an air conditioner.  Something snapped in my back and I had to go to the emergency room.  I'm still on anti-inflammatory medication, but I'm doing better.  

Transition

Today is a day of transition for me and my church.  Today, our pastor of 6 years and who has been with the church for 10 is moving to a new position as pastor of a larger church 30 minutes north of Williamstown.  Chris Morgan was our pastor and he does such a fantastic job that I'm sure he will succeed at there.  I won't go on with a tribute because should he see this post, he would be embarrassed, but let's just say that I have never seen a person so knowledgeable and who brings in his humanity about the word of God than Chris has.  

Since Chris is moving, our church is receiving Bruce Hiner, whose previous postion was pastor at a church in Cannonsburg, Kentucky.  I haven't met Bruce as of this posting, but I feel he will do a great job and that our church will welcome him with open arms.  For Jesus is the head of the church, and we worship him, not the pastor.  Every person has a different style of how to do things, and I'm sure Bruce will have his own way of doing things.  I plan on welcoming Bruce to Williamstown and look forward to hearing God's message from him.